CPD implementation tools

 

EEF's Putting evidence to work: a school’s guide to implementation.

A robust model to support implementation of CPD or any new approach in schools.

You can follow this model to explore, prepare, deliver and sustain your transformational priority.

Click here to view the resources.

The 5 step research-informed CPD cycle

This model mobilises effective CPD elements into an easy-to-follow cycle that can be used for designing sustained CPD programmes.

It involves 5 stages:

1. Designing a specific CPD programme

2. Delivering the initial input of research informed content to participants

3. Providing the tools and time for deliberate practice in classrooms and peer challenge

4. Evaluating practice by CPD leaders 

5. Reflecting and reviewing impact with all participants

Click here for a full explanation.

 

Evaluating Professional Development

To support in evaluating the impact of CPD programmes in school, Thomas Guskey's Evaluating Professional Development breaks down evaluation of CPD to five different levels that can help structure your thinking. This can be used in the design of the programme to help define what success will look like.

1 Participants’ reaction

This tells you how colleagues initially respond to a professional learning activity. It might include whether the content felt relevant, whether the delivery was effective or just whether they enjoyed the experience.

This is often collected through surveys at the end of sessions. Tools such as Google surveys and various school improvement online tools can support this.

2 Participants’ learning

This tells you whether colleagues have learnt any new knowledge or understanding and what that new knowledge or understanding is. This might be something that colleagues reflect on themselves, share with each other, or perhaps write up and record. Line-management or team meetings might be a vehicle to support this.

3 Organisation and support

This level examines the impact on the organisation and whether the organisation supported the implementation of any new learning. Was the organisational support there? Were there enough resources or was there enough time? This might be apparent through staff feedback, in meetings or through school plans. Tools such as the TDT Network’s CPD Audit looks at organisational support for effective CPD in schools.

4 Participants’ use of new knowledge/skills

Are teachers then using any new knowledge or understanding they have learnt? This tells you how well implemented the professional learning has been. It might be evident in lesson observations or feedback from staff through surveys or conversations. Low-stake learning walks, line-management meetings, peer observations such as Lesson Study can all support this and online performance management tools can also include self-evaluation tools to help teachers reflect on this.

5 Student learning outcomes

Finally, has there been an impact on students? This could be any outcome – attainment, behavioural or attitudinal – depending on what need your CPD was planned to address. This could be measured using attainment data, pupil work, homework, questionnaires or observation or video. Processes such as collaborative enquiry or Lesson Study can also support teachers in evaluating and measuring this.

Click here for the full explanation

Diffusion of innovations model

This model can help us to think about how ideas spread throughout a school.